Voortrekker Monument - Pretoria, South Africa Postcard with crafts stamps

The Voortrekker Monument is located in the city of  Pretoria in South Africa. This massive granite structure is prominently located on a hilltop, and was raised to commemorate the Voortrekkers who left the Cape Colony between 1835 and 1854.

On 8 July 2011 the Voortrekker Monument, designed by the architect Gerard Moerdijk, was declared a National Heritage Site by the South African Heritage Resource Agency.

The sender sent the postcard with 5 beautiful stamps. These stamps were issued as a 16-stamp set on 27 October 2010 under the topic of "Crafts".

Abu Dhabi - Sheikh Zayed Mosque - One of the largest Mosques in the World

WoW! What an elegant and grandeur mosque it is! I bought this postcard during my trip to Dubai and wrote it for posting to my kids. I even bought the stamps and pasted them on the postcard but due to a small change in my flight plan, I could not post it and brought it to my kids in my back pack!
Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi is the 3rd largest mosque in the World

The construction of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque was started by the late president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who wanted to establish a structure which unites the cultural diversity of Islamic world, the historical and modern values of architecture and art. His final resting place is located on the grounds beside the same mosque. 

The mosque was constructed from 1996 to 2007. It is the largest mosque in the United Arab Emirates. The building complex measures approximately 290 m (960 ft) by 420 m (1,380 ft), covering an area of more than 12 hectares (30 acres), exclusive of exterior landscaping and vehicle parking.

As the country's grand mosque, it is the key place of worship for Friday gathering and Eid prayers. During Eid it can be visited by more than 40,000 people.

I bought the above stamps from a post office close to Meena Bazaar in Dubai. The stamps were issued on the occasion of 40th Anniversary of the Constitution of the Union Supreme Court in 2014. Each stamp costed 1AED (Emirati Dirham). The complete set consisted of 4 stamps - in green, white, black and red colours.

Taiwan: Taipei 101 - 5th Largest Building in the World

Ni Hao!
This beautiful postcard shows the Capital City of Taiwan, Taipei. It is located in Northern Taiwan.
The tower building shown on the postcard is "Taipei 101".

The back of the card said that Taipei 101 is the 2nd largest building in the World, but a little research through Google Guru told that currently (in July 2014) Taipei 101 is the 5th tallest building on the planet after Burj Khalifa, Shanghai Tower, Makkah Royal Clock Tower Hotel and One World Trade Center. Height of the Taipei 101 is 1667 feet.
Taipei 101 comprises 101 floors above ground and 5 floors underground. The building was architecturally created as a symbol of the evolution of technology and Asian tradition. Its post-modernist approach to style incorporates traditional design elements and gives them modern treatments. The tower is designed to withstand typhoons and earthquakes. A multi-level shopping mall adjoining the tower houses hundreds of stores, restaurants and clubs.

2 x Beautiful stamps are attached at the back of the postcard by Neho. One of the stamp shows a mushroom named Amanita Rubrovolvata, while the second shows a stag.
Thank you Neho for such a beautiful postcard.
BTW it was an official Postcrossing Postcard.

Netherlands: Smoking Air Show Postcard with an Environment Friendly Stamp

Another lovely official Postcrossing postcard is coming your way today!

This colourful postcard showing the view of an Airplane Show was sent to me by josephine in 2012. Somehow I love flying aircrafts and this one is pretty amazing.

The stamp used on the postcard was issued in 2011 by Nederland Postal services as a part of Environment Series. The phrase written on the stamp, inside a green tree seems to say "denk groen voor een groene wereld" or something like that. Google Search suggests that it is a Dutch phrase for "Think Green for a Green World". 

I hope a native Dutch reader could improve our exploration.

I wonder what good are these flying/ Smoking aircrafts doing to make the World greener. The stamps and the postcard seem to be an interesting combination. 

What do you say?

Slovenia: Beautiful Castle in Ljubljana

Hi Pals!

It is always lovely to receive an official postcrossing postcard from a unique country like Slovenia. This lovely postcard was sent to me by Leonardo from the official Postcrossing website. 

He wrote, 

"I live in a very small and very beautiful country. There's only Two Millions living in Slovenia and we like to think that quality is more important than quantity. Card is showing the old core of our capital, with 900 years old castle in the center."

It was really interesting to read Leonardo's thoughts, however I wondered what my Chinese friends would think about the phrase "Quality is more important than quantity!"
Well! It was just a random thought that brought a smile. :)

The castle in Ljubljana is really a beautiful one and so are the red-roofed buildings near it.

The stamps shows a fruit and a leaf and says "Zizola - Ziziphus Jujuba" which is a fruit called as "Red Date". The photo is probably taken by the photographer named "Irena Gubanc". 

Please correct me if I am wrong!

Have a nice day!

A Winter Postcard from St. Petersburg in Russia

Recently I received a beautiful postcard from Russia showing a winter scene and a Parland Railing of the "The Church of the Resurrection of the Christ"

St. Petersburg is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites from Russia and you can read my detailed post at my UNESCO Postcards Blog here.
Two beautiful stamps showing a castle and a boat have been used by the sender - Katya.

Katya has also written "Happy Postcrossing" in a lovely way, accompanied by a Smiley.

 Thanks a lot Katya for this amazingly beautiful postcard and Happy Postcrossing.
If you have any question/ observation/ suggestion, please leave a comment below.

Beijing Olympics 2008 - Basketball Gymnasium

The next in line is an Official Olympics Postcard, issued at the eve of Beijing Olympics 2008, by the State Postal Bureau of  the People's Republic of China. The postcard depicts the grandeur building of Basketball Gymnasium.

The gymnasium covers a total area of 168,000 sq m and is about 7 floors high - with 3 floors underground and 4 above the ground. It has a total capacity of about 18,000 spectators.

One of the best features of the Gymnasium is its Energy Efficiency and it was one of the seven Green Venues for  Beijing Olympics. It has a funnel-shaped LCD Display System which is the first set of comprehensive displays in China that is able to meet the demands of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Not only are the standards met for basketball games, the LED system is also capable of being used for theatrical performances, real-time broadcasts and background imagery.

Furthermore, all audience seats are upholstered for comfort and convenience. On the second floor, there are 45 luxury boxes, with 29 large ones and 16 small ones.

By adopting a rainwater recycling system, easy-to-clean glass and other technologies, the designers fully implemented the idea of "Green Olympics, High-tech Olympics, and People's Olympics" into the construction of Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium.

The postcards were sold with a printed stamp of 80 Yuan (If I am not wrong!).
Another postcard of the same set showing Laoshan Velodrome can be seen too!

Thanks Edward for such a magnificent postcard to grace my collection.

An Architectural wonder - Naulakha Pavilion in Lahore Fort

Lahore Fort is one of the 6 sites included in UNESCO World Heritage Site List and is one of the only 2 UNESCO sites listed as UNESCO Sites in Danger, which makes Lahore Fort a unique site indeed. This picture on postcard is taken from inside of Lahore Fort and shows us three historic monuments - Naulakha in Lahore Fort (The closest building with curved roof), Maharaja Ranjeet Singh Shrine (Building in yellow and white color) and the grandiose Badshahi Mosque (One of the largest mosques in the World) at the farther distance. 

Built in 1633 by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, Naulakha Pavilion is one of the 21 monuments inside Lahore Fort building which are still preserved. This pavilion is located near Sheesh Mahal (the Mirror Castle). Although the pavilion was decorated with precious and semi-precious stones in the beginning but none of them can be found anywhere now :(

The amount spent on the construction of the pavilion was 9 lakh Rupees (0.9 Million Rupees) which was an enormous sum at that time. Bearing in mind the huge expenditure, the building was named as "Nau-lakha", which refers to 9 Lakhs spent on it. The same word "Naulakha" was later inducted in Urdu language to refer to something "very precious". You can view more details here.

Naulakha Pavilion was one of the favorite building of Rudyard Kipling, when he spent some time in Lahore. One of Kipling's novel is also named as "The Naulahka" referring to a precious necklace. When Rudyard Kipling settled down in his own home in Dummerston, Vermont, he named his residence "Naulakha".

The "Naulakha" photo has also been used on the reverse side of Pakistani One Rupee Note from 1964 - 1980. You can see an image of the bank note below:-

The Pakistani Embassy in Washington D.C. is also inspired by Naulakha motif and is partly built on it. Here is an image of it too:-

The postcard was sent to me by Vera from Lahore itself and a common postage stamp of Rs 2 denomination is used on the postcard. The stamp features a portrait of the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. 

I wish Pakistan Post can improve their cancellations and the ink used to cancel. The present cancellations being used are so shabby and they ruin a nice piece of postal history so easily.

What are your comments about this historical building?

Royal Wedding Postcards for Prince William and Kate Middleton's Wedding

While the World is suffering from Royal Wedding fever, I found this beautiful picture of the postcards presented for sale in a shop. The postcard compares the Royal Wedding of 2011 between Prince William and Kate Middleton with the wedding of his parents' Prince Charles and Lady Diana.

The wedding rings get a special attention on the postcard.
You can also see some other collectibles here:-

• Royal Wedding Stamps
• Royal Wedding Coins 

What do you think about both of them? Any comparison?

Finland - The Land of Thousand Lakes

Hi Pals!
I have brought a beautiful postcard from Finland to share with you. This interesting postcard is made by Finnish Association of Nature Conservation and shows one of the thousand beautiful lakes in Finland. Finland is known as "The Land of Thousand Lakes".

The stamp used on the postcard is also very unique. It is an Odd-Shaped Stamp from Finland, where the Finnish flag is waving out of the perforation of the rectangular stamp. The stamp was issued in 2006.

The monogram of Finnish Association for Nature Conservation is a seal which can be seen on front top-right corner of the postcard and is also water-marked at the rear of the postcard. 

"It is the largest non-governmental organization for environmental protection and nature conservation in Finland. Its objectives include the promotion of sustainable production and consumption patterns and the protection of biodiversity."

Thanks a lot Marika for sending me this nice postcard!

De-Listed Omani UNESCO World Heritage Site - Arabian Oryx Sanctuary

Today I would like to share another stunning postcard with you. Here I have a UNESCO World Heritage Site from one of its kind Site. I say so because the card depicts views from Arabian Oryx Sanctuary from Oman and the site was de-listed from the UNESCO List in 2007. It is one of the only two sites de-listed from the UNESCO Site List.  The other one was Dresden Elbe Valley in Germany which was de-listed in 2009.

As per Wikipedia, "Oryx is one of four large antelope species of the genus Oryx. Three of the species are native to arid parts of Africa, with a fourth native to the Arabian Peninsula. Their pelage is pale with contrasing dark markings in the face and on the legs, and their long horns are almost straight. The exception is the Scimitar Oryx, which lacks dark markings on the legs, only has faint dark markings on the head, has an ochre neck, and horns that are clearly decurved. 
The Arabian Oryx was only saved from extinction through a captive breeding program, and the Scimitar Oryx, which probably now is extinct in the wild, also relies on a captive breeding program for its survival."
You can read the brief description of "Arabian Oryx Sanctuary" as described on Official UNESCO WHS here.

The stamps used on the postcard are also very beautiful.

• The $1 postage stamp on the left is a part of a set of 9 postage stamps issued in 2005 by Australian Post as the "Greetings" series.
• The second stamp on the right is a $1 stamp from the "Wild Flowers" set of 4 stamps issued in 2006. The stamp shows the wild flower - Pincushion Hakea. 
• I also liked the Australian Post Airmail Label on the Postcard. Its so graceful and artistically designed.

The Postcard was sent to me by Laurent from Postcard Interactive Company of Sydney. It is a group of very seasoned Postcard Swappers who are also running a small printing company. They specialize in publishing special thematic postcards on world-wide loved themes like UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Airports and Aircrafts, Map cards, Navy Bases, Cruise Ships, Stadiums, Lighthouses, Railways, World Animals and other similar topics. Some of the unique and very gorgeous Limited Edition covers can also be found on the site.
You can buy postcards or covers from Postcard Interactive Company of Sydney at a very economical price or even swap with them.
If you buy from the Company, they will send you the postcards without any extra postage charges - with a minimum order of only 6 postcards. I assure you that the rates of Postcard Interactive Company of Sydney are very competitive and less expensive while the quality is superb. So check them now and find your favorite postcards or covers among hundreds of items on the site.

Historic Views of Istanbul, Turkey

Here is a beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site postcard from Turkey showing "Historic Areas of Istanbul". It is a magnificent postcard showing Suleymaniyah Mosque built in 16th Century AD.

The stamps are also very nice especially I loved the aircraft stamp.

 Read more about the postcard and the stamps here: "UNESCO WHS Turkey: Historic Areas of Istanbul"

Disneyland Postcard from USA

I have always been an avid fan of Disney Cartoons and films. Mickey and Minnie Mouse have been one of my favorite cartoons of all time. Despite having grown older, I am still a kid at heart as far as my love for Mickey is concerned. 

This is my first Disney Postcard from USA. It is sent to me by an employee of Disneyland, who has been very kind in our conversations.

Two of the three stamps used on the postcard are from zazzle.com; while the third stamp is on Scouting. Its a really beautiful stamp. The two stamps from zazzle.com feature a dog and a Mickey Mouse sketch.

It has been a very beautiful addition in my Disney Collection. Thanks a lot!

Hannah Montana and Sony PSP go Postal!

What a beautiful postcard it is!!! Hannah Montana joins hands with Sony PSP back in 2009 to feature the release of a girly PSP. Here is a cool postcard issued on the event.

"Sony's Hannah Montana version of PSP is one of the most prominent examples of the tech products going girly nowadays. The device contains a number of things that attract girls.
Sony announced the "lilac"-colored Hannah Montana PSP version at Sony Computer Entertainment of America's annual conference, Destination Playstation."

 Although the postcard is printed in USA, it was sent to me by a collector friend from Pakistan.
Did you like the postcard?

Official Postcrossing Postcard from North Carolina

A beautiful postcard from North Carolina, USA showing a romantic sunset at the coast. The back of postcard says: "From sunrise to sunset, the picturesque beauty of the coast of the Carolina's will delight you with fabulous visions".

Interestingly, the postcard is "Made in Italy". The postcard was sent to me by Vicki from North Carolina which is a Southern state on the Eastern seaboard of US.

The cool postage stamp used on the postcard features a magnificent Red Fox. I absolutely adore this nice postcard.

Did you like the postcard, stamp and post?

Greetings from Malacca - UNESCO World Heritage Site

I love postcards from Malaysia and here is one of my magnificent ones. This cool postcard comes from the historic city of Malacca in Malaysia. The civilization in this region started somewhere in 13th century. Malacca has a lot of signs of Portugese, Dutch and British colonization from the past centuries.
This cultural and historical city centre was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 7 July 2008.

The stamp featured on the postcard shows a scene from Malaysian cartoons.

This magnificent postcard was sent by Ilyani from Imagica. Thanks a lot pal!!!

Facebook's Farmville Postage Stamps

Have you played Farmville on Facebook ever?

Farmville is definitely the latest online farming craze....

I just thought that it would be fun sharing these beautiful stamps with you. I am sure that you will love these beautiful Farmville Postage Stamps. 

To see the remaining stamps and read more about them; Click here: Farmville Postage Stamps

Postcard #15: City View of Istanbul, Turkey

A beautiful postcard from Turkey featuring a city view of the magnificent city - Istanbul. Istanbul is the largest city of Turkey with a population of over 12.6 million. It is located in the Bosphorus Strait and encompasses the natural harbour known as the Golden Horn. It is the only metropolis in the World which is located in two continents - Asia and Europe. The "Historic Areas of Istanbul" were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites List in 1985.

This real-posted postcard features Galata Bridge, New Mosque and Sulemaniye. 

The Galata Bridge.   The bridge shown on the postcard was called as Fourth Galalta Bridge.  It was built in 1912 AD by a German firm MAN AG for 350,000 gold liras. This floating bridge was 466 m long and 25 m wide. The fourth Galata Bridge was damaged badly in a fire in 1992 AD. The Galata Bridge spans the Golden Horn. 

Galata Bridge of today,  which is called Fifth Galata Bridge,  is a bascule bridge and it was constructed in 1994. It is 490 m long with a span of 80 m. The deck of the bridge is 42 m wide and has 3 vehicular lanes and one walkway in each direction.

The New Mosque.   The New Mosque can be seen in the top left corner of the postcard. The New Mosque or Mosque of the Valide Sultan is an Ottoman imperial mosque located on the Golden Horn at the southern end of Galata Bridge. The construction of the mosque started in 1597 AD but the construction was stopped due to various problems. The partially constructed structure of the Mosque was destroyed by a fire in 1660 AD and fell into ruins. The reconstruction started and the mosque was completed in 1663AD and inaugurated in 1665 AD. It is one of the best-known sights of Istanbul.

Suleymaniye Mosque.   The Suleymaniye Mosque (at the top-right corner of postcard) is also an Ottoman imperial mosque in Istanbul. It is the second largest mosque in the city. It was built on the order of Sultan Suleiman I (Suleiman the Magnificent). The construuction on the mosque started in 1550 AD and ended in 1557 AD.

 

Suleymaniye was later destroyed by a fire in 1660 AD (probably the same fire in which New Mosque was destroyed) and was restored later. In 1766 AD, a part of dome was destroyed due to an earth quake. Many repairs had overcome the initial decoration of the mosque. Even the colour scheme of the dome and various other parts was changed. The mosque was restored again in the middle of the 19th century.

During World War I, the courtyard was used as a weapons/ammunition depot and mosque suffered another huge fire when some of the ammunition got ignited. It was fully restored in 1956 AD. Suleymaniye is also one of the areas considered to be the part of "Historical Areas of Istanbul" which is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

 

The postmark shows that the postcard was sent on 21 October 1991 from Turkey. The stamps used on the postcard were issued in 1985 as a definitive series. However there are some over-prints on the stamps. Can some one give any information about these over-prints???

FDC #3: France: Munich Olympics 1972

Hello Pals!
I am here after a little absence. I have to show you a beautiful cover from my Olympics collection. It is an official FDC from France marking the event of Munich Olympics 1972 held of course in Munich (Then West Germany).

Unfortunately, the event saw a massacre on September 5 by some members belonging to the Black September Organization who broke into the Olympics village and took 11 Israeli athletes hostage in their apartment. They killed two of the athletes in their apartment after fighting back.

Afterwards during a botched German rescue attempt at the military airport of Furstenfeldbruck, where the captors with their hostages had been transferred by helicopter, ostensibly to board a plane bound for another country, all the surviving Israeli hostages were killed by a terrorist who threw a grenade into the helicopter carrying the hostages in one helicopter and another terrorist who sprayed the second helicopter with machine gun fire.

The games were suspended for some time but the Olympics committee decided that "the Games must go on". Competition resumed a day later.

The 1972 Munich Olympics were officially named as Games of the XX Olympiad. The official motto of the games was "The Happy Games". The emblem of the Games was a blue solar logo (the "Bright Sun"). The Olympic mascot, the dachsund "Waldi", was the first officially-named Olympic mascot.

France finished in 17th position in the final medal rankings, with two gold medals(Cycling, Men's 1000m Sprint and Sailing, Men's Finn) and 13 medals overall. Pakistan also competed in the event and managed to win a silver medal in Men's Field Hockey Team Competition.

I think that this particular cover was issued during the torch relay of Olympics. Can anyone put me wise on this issue? The FDC was sent to me by M. Chapeau Jean-Michel from France. Thanks Michel for such a nice cover.

FDC#2 from Pakistan: Centenary Celebration of Catholic Cathedral Church; Lahore; Pakistan in 2007

Today I am here to share with you a wonderful FDC featuring a very nice and historical stamp issued on the occasion of the Centenary Celebration of Catholic Cathedral Church in Lahore, Pakistan. The Catholic Cathedral Church in Lahore has a rich history to offer. This magnificent edifice was constructed by the Belgian Capuchins in a prominent place in the heart of the city and consecrated on 19^th November 1907 as the mother Church of the diocese of Lahore. It replaced the historic old Pro-Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception built in 1861 near the famous Anarkali bazaar, outside the Old City.

The stamp was of Rs 5 denomination and was issued on 19th November 2007. I have a couple of such covers available for swap if anyone is interested. I can swap it for FDCs depicting themes like Olympics, Football, etc.